Jason Dohring is looking for a role with bite. The Toledo-born actor most recently sank his fangs into "Moonlight" last season as a 400-year-old vampire, Josef Kostan.
"I liked (‘Moonlight’) and I think we started to get into it ... We started to come into our own (in the last four episodes) and I started to get what they wanted from my character. ... I was able to do certain episodes with (that in mind) and I felt great about those," Dohring told the Weekend in an exclusive interview during Polaris Convention 22 in Toronto, Canada.
He was greeted at the convention by a coterie of adoring fans in matching "Think Kostan" T-shirts. The group took turns for pictures, asking him to "bite them" (literally) and kept the line busy during the star’s question and answer sessions.
"I think our fans are a bit different maybe because ... the shows that we do are kind of story-oriented, character and emotion driven and people who wind up watching those shows are a bit different... (Fans) come and they get interested in the story, in the character, the emotions of the story and I think it’s cool to come talk about that."
In the science fiction genre, Dohring is a fan of "Blade Runner" and "Star Wars."
"I’m a big Star Wars fan. ... I loved those ... I remember getting out of the theater and trying to hold the walls up with my will power, very exciting," he joked.
Dohring’s breakthrough role was as bad boy Logan Echolls on the critically-acclaimed but ratings-anemic CW show "Veronica Mars" in 2004.
"We kind of all sort of grew up together because we were all actors that weren’t really working, this was all our first big break," Dohring said. "Everyone was determined about the work and to make it good, so it was just an awesome environment."
He also starred in several television movies, "Black Cadillac", "Ready To Run" and "Someone She Knows." His other television credits include recurring roles in "The Division," "Boston Public" and "Once and Again," as well as numerous guest appearances.
Dohring appeared in the feature films "Wedding Daze," "Deep Impact" and "Broken Record."
"‘Deep Impact’ was like two lines but it was the funniest lines in the movie — remember that, long hair, pimples?" Dohring recalled. "And it was awesome. I went to prom with this one (pointing to his wife and high school sweetheart, Lauren), and I was the coolest guy in school because I was in this huge blockbuster film. Even if it was only two lines."
An avid sports fan, most of Dohring’s athletic adventures have been confined to the golf course lately, including a recent celebrity pro-am tournament in North Carolina. His choice of sport means his pretty face will stay that way, keeping his acting doors open.
"I play golf, so what’s the worst that can happen, I get hit by a ball? Or I get hit by lightning, right? I think Lee Trevino survived like three strikes so I got a couple of times in me," he joked.
"Moonlight" fans aren’t quite ready to let go of his most recent series. A vocal fan campaign is still underway to resurrect the vampire drama, with plans for a Burbank, Calif. billboard, taxi and subway ads in New York City and the perfunctory letter-writing campaign.
Dohring isn’t opposed to returning to a movie or miniseries.
"I think we would do that, but right now we’re auditioning and trying to get other work, so ... let’s do it soon," he said.
The show’s abrupt cancellation in May sent the actor in a new direction and he is ready to move away from the supporting character roles that have characterized his last four years in acting.
"More recently since I’ve been done with ‘Moonlight,’ I’ve sorted some stuff out in my career, just personally about where I want to go. … I think I’m going to wind up doing some leading type stuff and then I might go back to some character type stuff," he explained. "I think that I worked out a couple things for myself, kind of what I want to create in the world with being a celebrity. ... It was like all of a sudden I realized I could do it and I was like excited to try to do that, be a leading man. And I saw the amount of good that you can do, that you can use that platform to effect change in the world and that was exciting to me."
Dohring also expressed an interest in the social issues facing the Northwest Ohio area where he was born, particularly the issues of education.
On a larger scale, he is interested in human rights. His mother recently traveled to Cambodia and was so overwhelmed by the poverty and repression she witnessed abroad that she had to cut her trip off early.
He hopes to use his career to make a difference in the world, but said acting was his true passion.
"Basically (I love) just creating something from nothing, the ideas that you put into things. ... It’s almost like writing in a way because you’re writing your own (character) ... additional things or additional ideas that you’ve seen from your own life that you want to put in this character or these emotions," Dohring explained.
Despite its abrupt ending — Dohring learned of the cancellation through a voice mail from series lead Alex O’Loughlin — he counts the experience as a good one and is looking forward to at least reuniting with O’Loughlin for DVD commentaries.
"I enjoyed it," he said. As for the future, Dohring is looking forward to his new direction.
"I don’t want to work just to work particularly anymore," said Dohring. "I’d rather find something I’m happy with and create something cool for people to see and I’d rather look for something like that."
Multimedia: Click here for a HUGE video of Jason Dohring's Polaris Press Conference
YouTube version:
Part 1a:
Part 1b:
Part 2:
Part 3:
On the Net:
Moonlight fan campaigns: www.moonlight-united.com
Additional reporting by staff writer Chandra Niklewski.
Jason,
All the best to you. I look forward to seeing you in a Moonlight movie or mini-series.
Posted by: septbday | July 18, 2008 at 11:20 PM
The video is having difficulty loading. Is there another way for people to see it?
Posted by: Roz | July 19, 2008 at 05:01 PM
Jason, you are cute, funny, and a very sexy vampire! Best of luck to you whatever you excel in next. ;]
Posted by: Em | October 24, 2008 at 05:39 PM